[ EDITORIAL ]

Future of Democracy: Long Road Ahead for Egypt

Published: Monday, August 19, 2013 at 12:04 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, August 19, 2013 at 12:04 a.m.

Excerpted from a Chicago Tribune editorial.

When Egypt's military leaders in July removed the nation's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, the country's allies may have deployed self-delusion to mask reality. The generals said they had to force Morsi out to save democracy. They said their assertion of authority would be brief and elections would come soon. The U.S. and other nations wagged fingers, but largely tempered their reactions. The generals seemed trustworthy.

The brutal storming last week of peaceful protest encampments ends the brief era of world delusion over Egypt and its generals. The violence also may end the brief era of democracy.

Egypt, it seems, faces one of two untenable futures: a return to military dictatorship or a civil war. ... Egypt's military-backed leadership has declared a state of emergency, the tactic long favored by President Hosni Mubarak as justification to jail thousands of political dissidents.

Still, Egyptians have tasted democracy.

All of this portends a long, bloody struggle in Egypt, the center of the Arab world. That's big trouble for a part of the globe that's seeing trouble at nearly every turn. Morsi alienated millions of people by monopolizing power and moving Egypt toward Islamist government. He wouldn't compromise. He couldn't govern. But the best option for Egypt was to keep holding elections and remove him. Instead, the military lost patience, lost confidence in its citizenry, and may lose Egypt.

<p><i>Excerpted from a Chicago Tribune editorial.</i></p><p>When Egypt's military leaders in July removed the nation's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, the country's allies may have deployed self-delusion to mask reality. The generals said they had to force Morsi out to save democracy. They said their assertion of authority would be brief and elections would come soon. The U.S. and other nations wagged fingers, but largely tempered their reactions. The generals seemed trustworthy.</p><p>The brutal storming last week of peaceful protest encampments ends the brief era of world delusion over Egypt and its generals. The violence also may end the brief era of democracy.</p><p>Egypt, it seems, faces one of two untenable futures: a return to military dictatorship or a civil war. ... Egypt's military-backed leadership has declared a state of emergency, the tactic long favored by President Hosni Mubarak as justification to jail thousands of political dissidents.</p><p>Still, Egyptians have tasted democracy. </p><p>All of this portends a long, bloody struggle in Egypt, the center of the Arab world. That's big trouble for a part of the globe that's seeing trouble at nearly every turn. Morsi alienated millions of people by monopolizing power and moving Egypt toward Islamist government. He wouldn't compromise. He couldn't govern. But the best option for Egypt was to keep holding elections and remove him. Instead, the military lost patience, lost confidence in its citizenry, and may lose Egypt.</p>